Firefighters still tackling Blaenavon mountain blaze almost 24 hours after it started

Firefighters have confirmed they are still fighting a blaze on the mountainside, near Blaenavon, almost 24 hours after it was first reported.

Concerned residents had been watching the flames rise near the road between the town and nearby Varteg since last night, and this morning woke up to see that smoke still appeared to engulf the landscape.

Blaenavon Fire and Rescue station have been at the site above Cwmavon since roughly 8.45pm on Sunday night. At roughly 5.45pm on Monday evening, South Wales Fire and Rescue Service confirmed they were still fighting the blaze.

“The crew were mobilised shortly before 8.45pm to a wildfire on the hillside above Cwmavon,” firefighters said.

“On arrival more resources were requested. Crews faced challenging conditions, especially under foot. Beaters and a leaf blower were used to control the fire. As it stands, a number of resources are in attendance. We’ll keep you updated.”

Call operators have thanked the public for their support and monitoring of the situation, but have now asked the public to keep call lines free to help them speak to other callers in need of assistance.

“We are currently in attendance at two separate grass fires, one in Treherbert and one in Blaenavon and we're experiencing a high volume of calls,” the service said on social media.”

“We want to reassure you that we're dealing with both incidents and we appreciate your concern.”

Residents have reported seeing smoke from the blaze as far away as Usk, Raglan and Crickhowell.

Residents have been asked to avoid the area until the incident is resolved.

The fire service says it has seen a significant increase in accidental garden fires spreading to properties and urges people to :